Marine foundation



Aug, 10, '1943.

H. E. GROS-S 'MARIE FOUNDATION Filed Dec. 5. 1959 #hay "ww gua INVENTOR www' @m Patented Aug. 10, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MARINE FoUNnA'rroN Henry EmmettGross, College-Station, Tex. Application December 5, 1939, serial No. 301,569

2 Claims.

scribed, an anchoring device adapted to pene- .trate through soft mud and silt to a firm founda tion.

An additional object of the present invention is the provision in a structure of the character described of means operable from the surface for levelling the structure on an uneven bottom.

A further object of the present invention is the provision in a structure of the character described of means for temporarily levelling the structure until permanent levelling and anchoring have been accomplished.

Further objects and advantages of `the present invention will appear from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is a front elevation of a device according to the present invention, partly in section, shown attached to a leg of a marine foundation; and

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the device along the line A-A of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, numeral I represents a leg of a marine derrick shown attached to a bottom plate 2 which forms a part of a skid-like base made up of tubing 3. Numeral 4 designates a cylinder having an upper inlet 5, and having a lower open end 6. This cylinder is secured to leg I by iron bands 1 which are preferably welded to the leg and to the exterior of the cylinder. Slidingly mounted in cylinder 4, so as to iit the lower open end 6, is a second cylinder 8. The annular space between cylinders 4 and 8, near the lower open end of the former, is filled with a. packing material 9, the upper end of which is notched to form a Bridgeman seal, The upper end of cylinder 8 is open and carriesa collar Iii, the exterior diameter of which is such as to form a sliding fit with the interior of cylinder 4. The lower end of cylinder 8 is also open and, like cylinder 4, is provided with a Bridgeman seal II in which is frictionally mounted a piston-like member I2 which has a lower pointed end I3 and has an open upper end provided with a collar I4, which makes a sliding it with the interior of cylinder 8,

At this point, it may be mentioned that there may be as many cylinders as desired between cylinder 4 and piston I2, all telescopicaliy mounted and provided with the necessary seals to render the assembly pressure-tight.

' The assembly thus far described may be used `for penetrating soft formations until solid substructurel is reached. This is accomplished by introducing a duid under pressure through the opening 5, whereby the piston I2 is caused to move downwardly and will continue to move downwardly so long as pressure is applied in sufficient amounts to permit it to penetrate the formation. As previously indicated, the distance which piston I2 can penetrate is regulated by the number of cylinders 8 which are employed. When it is desired to use the structure as a permanent structure, the interior may be lled with cement after it is sufficiently distended to rest on a solid bottom. With one of these assemblies attached to each leg of the structure, the structure may be levelled on uneven rocky bottom, the levelling being done at the surface by adjusting the pressure on the various assemblies.

It will be noted that eah of the outer cylinders is provided near its lower end with an opening I6 for the escape of air entrapped between the cylinders during the movement of each cylinder in the next outer cylinder.

In order to adapt this structure for use as a temporary levelling means in soft formations, there is provided around piston I2 a oat member I5 of sufficient diameter to constitute a footing in soft materials. The base 2 is suitably.

cut away to permit the'nesting therein of ,the float member I5. As shown, the float member is fixed to the bottomoi cylinder 8 and member I2 is slidable through the iioat member so that it can be retracted into cylinder 8. The iioat member -could as readily'be arranged on member I2 by having a rib on member I2 and a corresponding groove inmember I5 in the conventional manner.

It will be apparent that various changes in the design, proportions of parts, and the like, may be made in the device described above without departing from the essential invention embodied therein. Such changes are contemplated within the scope of the present invention which is defined by the appended claims.

The nature and objects of the present invention having been thus 'described and illustrated, what is claimed as new and useful andis desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: 1

l. In a marine foundation having supporting legs, a levelling device comprising a cylinder xed to one of said legs, adjacent the lower end thereof, a plurality of concentric cylinders mounted inside said cylinder in a telescoping manner, for extension downwardly therefrom, the upper ends of said inner cylinders communicating with the interior of said ilxed cylinder, an intermediate one of said inner cylinders being provided at its lower end with a laterally extending member having a large surface area relative to the cross sectional area of said intermediate cylinder, a.

my Emmrr Grioss. 

